Apparatus and Methods for Keyboard Data Normalization

1. A keyboard data processing system adapted to operate prior to loading of keyboard processing software, the system comprising: a keyboard controller configured to receive an indication that a key of a keyboard has been depressed; a keyboard handler coupled to the keyboard controller and configured to read a first code indicative of a physical location of the depressed key, to convert the first code into a second code indicative of a keycap value corresponding to the depressed key and to output the second code indicative of the keycap value corresponding to the depressed key; and a password wherein the keyboard processing software is loaded during pre-boot operation upon confirmation of the power-on password checker coupled to the keyboard handler and configured to store a power-on password and to compare the second code indicative of the keycap value corresponding to the depressed key to the power-on password.

2. A system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the keyboard handler includes a table containing entries of keyboard location dependent data and entries of keycap values to which the entries of keyboard location dependent data correspond and wherein the keyboard handler is further configured to read from the table a second code indicative of the keycap value to which the physical location of the depressed key represented by the first code corresponds.

3. A system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the first code comprises a scan code.

4. A system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the first code comprises a human interface device (HID) code.

5. A system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the second code comprises a Unicode representation of the keycap value.

6. A system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the table comprises a lookup table.

7. A system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the password checker stores the power-on password in a Unicode format.